Awake and Waiting
by blacksakura13
Summary: A year and a half has passed, and Ikebukuro has been quiet thus far. Will it continue to remain peaceful? ((OC as the main character. Part 2 of New Gang))
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: I didn't think I was going to continue this story since I didn't think they would release season 2. I read the light novels, but I found it hard to incorporate Amaya into it since the novels confused me. Now that season 2 is out I kinda have a map to follow.**

**If you're new to this, I made a fanfic years ago revolving around an OC of mine, and this fic will be the same. Go read it first if you like.**

**Anyway, if I have old readers here, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p>The city lights of Ikebukuro shone as brightly as they usually did, the streets alive with light and noise and gossip. It was another regular day for the citizens of the ever-lively city.<p>

Amaya sat in the town square silently, checking her phone for any news about… Anything really. It had been relatively quiet after that small outburst from the Turbans last year, for which she was thankful. But the city just didn't feel the same, at least not to her.

She had dropped out of school right after the last semester ended. She needed a break from academics, and more time to concentrate on what plan of action she should take. She couldn't back down from being the boss, not when there was still so much happening.

Naoko had been released from the hospital three weeks after he had been wheeled in. He barely remembers what had happened to him, he can't remember the face of who attacked him. The only thing that he could remember was that they were after Amaya—er, rather, Ken.

"Is everything alright, Aya-chan?" Naoko asked, sitting carefully beside her as he handed her a soda. "You look a little pale."

Amaya had revealed her secret to the gang. She thought that trust was an important thing and if she couldn't be truthful to the people she cared for then she didn't have the right to call herself the Boss of Green Earth.

The group had taken it in good stride, though many of the members were initially surprised, they still thought of her a great leader and even berated her for keeping such important secrets from them.

Though if anyone on the streets asked, her name was Ken. It was a helpful alias.

And she had finally agreed to go out with Naoko.

"A little under the weather, I guess," she confessed to him, taking the can gratefully before popping it open and taking a huge sip. "Things have changed, huh…"

"Not really," Naoko replied thoughtfully, staring around them absentmindedly as if waiting for an ambush, though his posture was relaxed. "But I guess that all depends of the eye of the beholder."

"Then what does it feel like to you?" She asked him, passing the soda to him. "I feel like a completely different person now."

"You are, but you aren't" he replied with a grin, swirling the soda's content.

"So wise," she said sarcastically, though a grin played at her lips. "You make so much sense."

"Death does not necessarily mean the loss of someone's life," he explained academically. "It mostly means that—"

"Yes, I know. Change."

"I told you my cards were always right," he laughed.

"You never answered my question," she urged. "What does the city feel like to you?"

"Hmmm," he said out loud, leaning back to look at the dark sky. Sometimes he wishes he could see the stars dotting the sky, but he didn't need to if he had her by his side. "It feels like the city—no, the world… It feels like the world has grown, you know? It's still the same, but bigger, brighter… More alive!"

"You make as much sense as Simon," Amaya said, but nonetheless let her hand fall on top of his. "I don't know why I like you."

As they gazed up at the sky, the roar of an engine echoed through streets, and something akin to a paraglider soared above the city.

Another normal night at Ikebukuro.


	2. Chapter 2

"Did you hear the news?"

"Fuckin' crazy, isn't it? Why would they do that?"

"Scum of the crop, aren't they?"

"Isn't it crème of the crop?"

"Well what they did sure ain't sweet!"

"Yeah!"

Chatter rang throughout the Green Earth headquarters rather loudly considering the time. It was four in the morning and despite this, many of the Green Earth members were present at the meeting.

"Hey, you're all being too noisy!"

"Yeah, we're the protectors of peace! We can't protect peace if we're the ones disruptin' it!"

"Oi, shut up, Nagisa-kun."

"Hmph!"

"Hey, guys!" Naoko called over the noise. "C'mon, settle down!"

Green Earth was, and always has been, a very small group with controlled numbers. Amaya was sure that her members were the bravest of the brave, and if not brave, they were honest. She loved that about her members, and she wanted nothing but their safety. "So, I guess everyone's heard of the news, huh."

The group chattered in murmured agreements.

Amaya took out her phone and stared at the recent updates, and several members followed suit.

"It has come to our attention that there has been an outbreak in Saitama," Naoko said with a frown. "Apparently, members of Dollars went out of their way to harass people not even within Ikebukuro's territory."

"It's fucked up!" someone shouted.

"They should be taught a lesson!"

Amaya shook her head. "No, we don't do violence. We only protect and defend," she stated, and the group simmered down. "We're not sure of the details about the situation, and as much as possible I don't want for us to be involved…"

"Leader!"

"Boss-man, c'mon!"

"No, listen to me," Amaya argued, her voice stern. "All I'm saying is before we can act, we have to know the situation first. This isn't a game, it never was, and our lives could be in danger."

Naoko nodded, and piped in. "I'm surprised we've been under the radar for as long as we have and—"

"That's cuz we ain't prideful dicks like DOLLARS or the Yellow Turbans!"

"As I was saying," Naoko continued. "We've been under the radar, which is good. The less people know about our color group the better, we're safer that way." He sighed, shoving his hand in his pocket and let his fingers brush briefly over his tarot cards. "The cards said—"

"Boo!" The crowed jeered, but it was all in good nature.

"You and your cards!" Someone laughed.

Naoko blushed slightly and huffed. "Oh, shut up! You know I've never been wrong!"

The group laughed, but they all knew that to be true.

"So what did your cards say?" Amaya asked, now more believing in the power of his cards. "Nothing bad, I hope….."

"I drew out the Five of Wands," Naoko murmured, pulling out a card from his pocket. It was, yet again, the five of wands. He didn't quite understand it himself, and his mind momentarily wandered to the darker side of the situation. Still, he didn't want to worry anyone just yet, at least not until they knew what was going on for sure. "It's telling me that there is misunderstanding, and I think that it might be within the inner workings of DOLLARS."

Someone in the group raised their hand. Both Amaya and Naoko acknowledged it.

"I'm sorry," said Tsumiki-chan meekly. "But I don't quite understand what that means…"

"Ah," Naoko said, turning the card in his hand as he tried to ponder a way in which he could explain in simpler words. "Ah, well… I'm not too sure how to say…"

"Either way," Amaya said, taking control of the conversation once more. "Be careful, and always stick to your groups. Try not to wear too much green if you can, people might become suspicious."

After a few more minutes of conversation amongst themselves, the group dispersed into the night with friendly "goodbyes" and "be carefuls."

Naoko and Amaya sat side by side, watching as their group left for their homes.

"I don't think it's safe for us to meet in big groups anymore," Naoko said pensively.

Amaya nodded in agreement, and saw the card still in Naoko's hand. "May I?" she asked, holding her hand out to the card.

Naoko shook his head, bringing the card closer to his chest as if it were precious. "It.. It's not that I don't trust you or anything…"

Amaya tilted her head to the side in question. "…?"

"Uh, rather…. You see, the cards don't like it if someone else touches them," Naoko explained sheepishly.

"Ah," Amaya replied, though it looked like she wanted to laugh.

"Hey! Hey! I mean it!" Naoko said defensively. "They're like my children, you know?"

Amaya snorted and nodded her head in slight understanding. "Okay, okay, I get it. But still, it looked like you had more to say earlier…"

"To be honest, the situation in Saitama is still very… suspicious to me," he said with a frown. "It could be like what happened to the Yellow Turbans, you know?"

Amaya nodded her head grimly, not really wanting to talk too much about that topic. "Yeah…"

"But what I wanted to say was for your ears only," he added. "I think… I think that someone in our group might betray us."

* * *

><p>It was early in the afternoon when Izaya caught sight of one of his favorite humans. Though she was dressed in a disguise, it only made her stand out more than she probably would have liked.<p>

She had these obnoxiously round sunglasses with tint so dark you couldn't see her eyes. She was dressed in a very feminine manner, way too feminine compared to what she usually wore.

Her skirt was admittedly a little too short, though Izaya could tell that she was wearing cycling shorts beneath them. She was wearing a very frilly blouse that didn't at all match her shoes and her usually tied up hair was let down to fall around her shoulders.

Izaya tsked. He was sure that, if she could dress nicer, she could probably audition to be a model.

He approached her almost silently, like a snake in the grass and very playfully whispered in her ear. "Hello, Amayachi!"

"Augh!"

Amaya, started by the sudden presence beside her, fell forward and her face collided with the window of the store she was peering into. Some heads turned to see what the commotion was about, but shrugged their shoulders and carried on with their life.

"My god, Izaya-san! Don't scare me like that!" she scolded him. "How did you know it was me?"

Izaya laughed. "You stand out like a sore thumb! Your sense of fashion is horrible."

"Ah," she said despondently. "You see, my mother sent this skirt for me and this was the only shirt that was clean…."

"It's actually a blouse," Izaya corrected with a grin. "I thought it was peculiar to meet you here in Shinjuku, but could it be that you're actually out shopping for new outfits?"

Amaya's face flushed slightly in embarrassment. "Uh, no… But… Yes…"

"?"

Amaya sighed. "I am shopping... I want to buy something for Nao-kun and I want it to be a surprise… but if he saw me in 'Bukuro shopping he'd definitely join me…" she explained, looking down at her shoes only to realized belatedly that they were mismatched.

Izaya peered into the shop she was looking into, a bit startled with what he saw.

It was a curious shop, and it looked a little bit demonic and he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. "Are you trying to curse your boyfriend?"

"B-boyfrie-?! How did you know?!" She stuttered.

Izaya shrugged.

"And no, I'm not trying to curse my boyfriend! Why in the world would I do that?!"

The informer hummed in delight, spreading his arms out wide as he spun. "Ohhh, how I love Nao-kun, I love him so much!" he said in a mock voice, clapping his hands together in delight. A few heads turned, but then continued to ignore the two. "I love him so much, but if he were to see anyone else but me…" Izaya said in a darker tone, then turned his head to look inside the curious shop.

"No—God, no! I'm not that sort of person! Where would you get that idea!?" Amaya practically screeched at him.

Izaya snickered, remembering his assistant in a rather fond manner.

* * *

><p>From Izaya's office, Namie sneezed. For some reason she felt like someone was making fun of her.<p>

* * *

><p>"So what is it that you are subjecting Nao-kun to?" Izaya pondered, walking into the store with Amaya at his heels.<p>

"Don't call him that," Amaya huffed, with a pout on her lips.

Izaya gave her a knowing look, and she responded with a scowl.

"I'm looking for tarot cards," Amaya admitted.

Izaya, who had picked up a jar that seemed to be filled with dried lizards (were those real?) looked at Amaya curiously. "Tarot cards?" he echoed. "Why?"

She nodded while looking around the store but nothing really caught her attention at first until she found a small box that contained tarot cards. The art looked quite eerie, but she felt like this deck in particular was special so she took it with her. "He… said the ones he owned were like his children…"

Things clicked immediately in Izaya's head. He had read quite a few books regarding magic and fortunetelling, and his smile grew wider in delight. "So if you were to buy cards for him, they would be _your_ children?"

Amaya's face immediately turned red and she nodded. She was found out so easily.

"Ah, you're such a precious girl," Izaya cooed. "I'll help you out, I'm such a sucker for love stories," he said with a grin. He turned to the counter, which was devoid of people and examined the necklaces and rings displayed.

Amaya joined him at the counter, ready to pay, but noticed that the informer was picking up and examining several necklaces and rings. She stared at him wordlessly.

He picked up a ring that had a small orange jewel and smiled, handing it over to the girl beside him. "That's a sunstone," he said with a smile. "It's—"

"A protection stone," and old woman who previously wasn't there said.

Amaya screamed at the woman's sudden appearance, then calmed down when Izaya began to laugh at her.

"I heard about what happened to poor Naoko-kun some months ago," he explained with empathy that Amaya didn't know was fake. "I just thought that he might appreciate something like this too."

Amaya nodded delightfully and bought the items. The store clerk began to explain the proper procedures that she should do before giving the gifts as Izaya stared once more at the dried lizards. In the end, he bought them.

"Now that your gift shopping is done," Izaya said, taking off his parka and putting it around Amaya's shoulders to cover her atrocious outfit. "Let's seriously buy you a new outfit. It's almost painful having to look at you."

* * *

><p><strong>Extra:<strong>

"You should try this on," Izaya said, passing her a skirt that might look good on her. "And for goodness sake, take off those damned cycling shorts."

"Ah," Amaya said with a frown. "But its too breezy without them."

Izaya pondered for a few seconds, before leaving to come back with a pair of shorts. "Alright, shorts instead of skirts it is."

After a while of switching and changing clothes and a lot of awkward modeling, Amaya came out in a stripped black and white tank top and black shorts. Simple, yet oddly appealing. She wore high cut laced up boots and to top it all off Izaya had given her a green parka that matched his black one.

All on his credit card, mind you.

They went into a cafe and ordered some snacks, both looking very fashionable, Amaya had said something she regretted.

"Today was really fun! Thank you so much, Izaya-niisa-" her hand flew over her mouth.

But it was too late. Izaya had heard and he had the biggest shit eating grin on his face.

"-aaaaAAAAHHHHH" Amaya screamed silently, her face red even as Izaya took her slice of cake.

* * *

><p><strong>Extra part 2:<strong>

Namie stared at the tea set in front of her suspiciously. "What is this?"

"Tea," Izaya replied with a grin. "You had a cold since yesterday, it would be unfortunate if my assistant were to fall ill."

Namie couldn't help but feel suspicious. Nonetheless, her throat felt dry and her nose was running; a cup of warm tea wouldn't hurt, and she knew that Izaya Orihara never actually killed anyone, at least not with his own hands.

The tea was… odd in its flavor, but she finished it in no less than five gulps.

"Was it good?" Izaya asked with a grin.

"Not particularly," Namie said with a shrug, turning back to her laptop to continue her work.

"Izaya pulled something from his pocket and placed it on Namie's keyboard and right between her hands. "This was the secret ingredient."

Izaya left his office later in the evening with a bruise on his cheek and reveled in the infinite happiness that was the fact that Namie Yagiri had drank a whole cup of dried lizard tea.

* * *

><p><strong>An: I remember reading somewhere that dried lizard actually helps when a person has a cold, but I'm not sure if that's true. Also, this fic is probably going to have a lot of spoilers, so be warned.**


	3. Chapter 3

**In an apartment somewhere in Ikebukuro…**

Naoko had never really considered his love life important; he has never really held any interest in anyone of the opposite sex.

Some of his friends thought it weird that he was never interested in looking at smuggled dirty magazines, and at first they had thought he was gay. Though they joked him about it, they were curious to see if that was so and had embarrassingly bought him a magazine filled with numerous pictures of men in bawdy poses.

Still, there had been no reaction from Naoko, simply a scoff and a roll of his eyes.

He had thought for a very long time that he might have been asexual, which he honestly did not mind. Though his friends had tried to hook him up with several girls, nothing really sparked or bloomed between them.

When he met Amaya, Ken during their initial meeting, he had realized that she was a breath of fresh air that he didn't know he needed. They talked about simple things like life and studies and interests. He had grown fond of her, who spoke so honestly and freely about her thoughts, who didn't seem interested in talking about sexual and lewd things like his friends have been for the last few months.

The moment they met in person, he was almost disappointed in the fact that she was a boy. At least, at the time he thought she was a boy. Still, that didn't stop the fact that his affections for her had grown over time to the point that he was willing to sacrifice his safety for her.

He touched the scar on his side, as if remembering the pain from what happened several months back.

He can't remember who had attacked him; the memory was a blur. But if the evidence they had found was proof enough, it seemed to be the doing of the Yellow Turbans.

He shivered at the memory of a voice, smooth as silk and black as the night sky. His voice that tasted like licorice and vodka, and it wasn't a taste that he was quite fond of.

Izaya Orihara.

The man had informed him of the Blue Squares, about how they were going to destroy those in their way.

· Was it the Blue Squares? It can't have been, that group was dissolved, wasn't it?

· Besides, they found a yellow scarf and not a blue one at the scene of the crime.

· Perhaps Izaya-san was mistaken? Though I find that a little hard to believe.

Naoko sighed. Izaya had been nothing but useful to them and he seemed to be quite fond of Amaya (Naoko's heart tightened with a foreign feeling which he later learned was jealousy), and logic seemed to say that he was a trustworthy person. But for some reason, the man put him on edge. With his attractive face and smooth talking, it was easy to become enamored by him.

· Should we trust Izaya Orihara or would that lead to our downfall?

· Well, unlike what happened to the Yellow Turbans, we don't rely on him too much.

· Still, I think I'd feel safer in a room with Shizuo Heiwajima rather than Izaya Orihara.

· Perhaps we should befriend Shizuo-san, so if Izaya does betray us we'll have an ally on our side.

Shizuo Heiwajima once worked in the bar that his father owned. From what Naoko could remember, he was a more or less very calm man. That is, if you didn't annoy him. He only lasted in his father's bar for two months until he finally snapped at one of the customers. The customer was harassing a woman and though Naoko admired those who defended those in need and would have loved it if someone strong like Shizuo had stayed, his father fired him due to property damage and scaring away other patrons.

With that in mind, Naoko stood up and quickly made it out of his home. Shizuo Heiwajima was an easy man to find, what with his blond hair and height that made him stand out like a sore thumb. He was going to befriend the strongest man in Ikebukuro, only just to quell the anxiousness that he felt in his heart when he thought about Izaya Orihara's relationship with Green Earth.

**At the park in the late afternoon…**

Shizuo Heiwajima was sitting at a park bench, taking a long drag of his smoke. His day had been uneventful but peaceful, for which he was thankful for.

"H…Heiwajima-san?" A nervous sounding voice called.

The former bartender turned to the voice that had called him, letting his shades fall down the bridge of his nose as he stared at the young man before him. "Ah?"

His voice tasted like oatmeal and powdered sugar, a combination he didn't know would taste so good. It was far better than the voice of Izaya.

"Do you remember me? You used to work for my father, you see," Naoko explained as simply as he could. Amaya's honesty was rubbing off on him, and while he saw that as a good thing he also saw it as a slight sign of weakness…

"Ah? Sorry.. I don't recall," Shizuo had replied just as honestly.

"I'm Ishiyama, Naoko, it's nice to meet you again," Naoko told him, bowing his head politely.

Shizuo played with the cigarette between his teeth as he tried to put a face to the name. "Ishiyama, huh?" he murmured, rolling his head around until his neck cracked. "Ah, you mean down south?"

Naoko smiled delightfully. "Yeah! That's the place!"

Shizuo nodded in understanding. "Sorry about destroying your family's bar," Shizuo said flatly, as if he were used to apologizing.

"No, it's quite alright, Heiwajima-san," Naoko said with a smile, daring to sit next to the former bartender who was feared by so many. "Business there is still fine, really."

"That so? That's good," Shizuo replied, not really used to conversations with people he couldn't quite remember.

"I, uh," Naoko started nervously. "I actually thought it was pretty cool, what you did back then at my father's bar."

Shizuo scowled, dropping his cigarette to the ground before crushing it under his foot. "It's not really 'cool' to be using violence," he muttered unhappily.

Though he was about to berate the boy for thinking violence is cool, Naoko had bent down to pluck the cigarette off the floor before tossing it into a nearby trashcan.

"Ah, I don't like it when people litter," Naoko explained sheepishly.

Shizuo stared at him a little dumbfounded, the anger that was growing inside him quickly subsiding with how weird the kid was. He shook his head, pulling another cigarette out of his pocket. "Anyway, violence isn't something to admire," he muttered lowly. "It would be better if kids like you think peacefully."

Naoko fumbled with his words, well aware of the fact that Shizuo was against violence. "Ah, no… What I meant was that I thought it was really cool of you to defend that woman who was being harassed," he explained. "I can't stand it when people harass women…"

Shizuo blew a puff of smoke. "Ah, I can't stand them either."

Silence passed between the two of them.

"Heiwajima-san?"

"?"

Naoko scratched his head. "Would it be okay if I were to call you my friend?"

Shizuo was yet again bewildered by the boy's directness. "Really? Well, I guess it's not bad to have a friend," he replied.

After a few more minutes of idle chatter, Naoko waved goodbye at his new friend, contact details already exchanged between the two of them.

· Shizuo-san isn't scary at all. He just gets angry too quickly…

· He's kind of like a cool older brother, right?!

His heart feeling content, Naoko treated himself to sushi before going home, blissfully unaware of the danger that was soon to fall into their normal lives.

* * *

><p><strong>Extra:<strong>

"Shizuo-san!" a voice called from the crowd, drawing both Shizuo and Tom's attention.

"Who's the kid?" Tom asked, as Naoko excitedly ran towards them.

Shizuo shrugged his shoulders. "Nao... something. Natoshi? Naoki?"

"Naoko," Naoko corrected once he was in front of the bartender.

"Right, Naoko," Shizuo nodded as he remembered. "Did you need something?"

Naoko grinned and pulled out a pair of shades that looked a little bit similar to Shizuo's and put it on. "I saw these at the store and they reminded me of you so I bought them," he stated simply with a grin so bright.

"Ah..." Shizuo said, looking a little embarrassed. He was used to people being scared of him, it was kind of embarrassing to have someone admire him like this.

Tom put his hand over his mouth, trying to stop himself from laughing at the look on Shizuo's face. It was nice to have someone who wasn't scared of him.

Naoko walked alongside them, talking animatedly about nothing in particular until the debt collectors had to get back to work, Shizuo feeling a little bit happy.


	4. Chapter 4

"Amayachi!" Greeted a happy voice on her cellphone. "How are you?"

Amaya looked startled, surprised with the voice she was hearing. It was an unknown number so she wasn't too sure what to expect. "Izaya-san? Did... Did you change your number?" she asked, walking away from the crowd and into a less populated area. She knew that Izaya had many enemies, and it would be best for her to pretend that she wasn't involved with him. But that man was like mystery she could not pull herself away from no matter how much she tried.

Not that she didn't want to get away.

"Ah, you could say that! Hey, hey! Why aren't you calling me nii-san? I found that to be rather cute you know!" he prattled on with a happy smile that Amaya could hear in his voice. "Go on! Go on!"

"No…" She said, blushing slightly as she tugged her hood over her head. "If you called me for that, Izaya-san, I'm going to hang up. I'm rather busy today," she muttered, watching out of the corner of her eyes as a small group of rather suspicious looking people wandered about.

Izaya laughed in his usual way. "Ah, so mean! The life of a gang leader really matured you, huh? But you're still so young, my dear! You shouldn't have to grow up so fast! It would be a shame if you wasted your youth on something like this, ne?"

Amaya shook her head even though Izaya couldn't see that. "I'm not wasting my youth if I'm enjoying myself, right?"

"Ah, is that so?" Izaya mused, sounding a little bit more suspicious now. "Then could it be that you like violence?"

"No!" Amaya squeaked into the phone. "No, of course not!"

"Hoho, it sounds like you do though!" Izaya chuckled darkly. "A young girl such as yourself, the so called harbinger of justice, is actually a devil in disguise!"

Amaya stayed silent, carefully trailing behind the suspicious looking group. And, not to her surprise, the group began to put on yellow colored items. She took in a deep calming breath, trying her best to not let her emotions control her actions. As much as she wanted to get back at them for what they did to Naoko, revenge was always a dish best served cold.

"In any case," Izaya continued on. "I didn't call you for that!"

"Mm, so what did you call me for, nii-sa- Izaya-san?"

Izaya smirked but decided to keep quiet about that for now. "You see, there is this poor young girl who ran away from home! She's troubled right now, and I offered to take care of her but now that I think about it, she would be wary of a strange man taking care of her, no?"

"Oh no…" Amaya whispered, honestly a little distressed with the information she was given. "What can I do to help?" she asked, even as she followed the suspicious group into a very suspicious location. She pulled out her spare phone, and quickly took a picture of her surroundings before sending it out as a group message on the Green Earth group forum with subject line: Just in case.

"Be my proxy," he told her. "Right now, I'm sending you the time and location to meet her as well as a few instructions for you to follow. I'd very much appreciate it if you could look out for the girl in my stead." Though Amaya couldn't see it, Izaya moved a black pawn forward on his elaborate looking shogi board.

Amaya's second phone rang, and she had to wonder for a moment how Izaya got that number. Nonetheless, she kept a mental note to meet with the girl as she stuffed her 2nd phone back into her pocket.

"So who might you be?" a voice said suddenly from behind Amaya.

Before she could react, an arm was wrapped around her neck in a headlock and she yelped, her first phone clattering to the ground. She supposed that it was fortunate that Izaya-san used another phone instead of his usual one. She struggled, trying to kick at the man who had her in a tight hold.

The group in the yellow colored items approached at the sound of the commotion and sneered at their little guest.

"Ah?! Are you part of the DOLLARS?"

"We should definitely beat him up, right?!"

"Teach him a lesson he wont forget!"

It was then that Amaya was thankful for the fact that she had decided to dress as her boy version today. Still, it was getting harder to breathe and she was already standing on her tiptoes to lessen the strain against her neck.

"So," said the voice holding her. "Are you part of DOLLARS?"

She swung her leg back, kicking the man in his shin in protest.

"Don't be like that," one of the members cooed at her in a way that made her shiver. "We just wanna ask a few questions then roughen you up a bit."

"Go fuck yourself!" Amaya spat at him.

She paused when she felt cool metal pressed against the side of her face. She gulped.

"You've got a pretty looking face, huh?" The man asked. "It would be a shame if something were to happen to it…"

"…"

"Tell us, boy! Who is your leader?!" one of the members asked.

"I… don't know!" She grumbled back, her nails digging into the man's arm. "I'm just a nobody on that website!"

"Is that so? Still, you're a member so we can't let you going around unscathed, you know?" one man threatened.

"Wow, using such big words!" Amaya teased and then mentally cursed herself. She shouldn't be teasing them when she was in such a dangerous situation. Izaya was rubbing off on her in the worst of ways. "I'm so scared!"

"Tch!"

A swift punch to her stomach left her a little bit breathless, but she still let out a small chuckle.

Adrenaline running through her, she decided the best thing to do was to run. So with a deep breath she decided to try a move she once saw in a movie. She swung her leg back as far as she could manage and then swung it back forward, using the momentum to carry her body in an arch. Her leg swung and hit the man in front of her and followed through until her foot made contact with the face of the man that held her.

The two men scrambled back, startled, and using that moment she grabbed her dropped phone and made a run for it, letting her legs carry her out of there as fast as they could.

She sighed in relief when she was in a more populated area, thankful that she pulled her hood up. Hopefully the men didn't remember her face. As she wiped off the sweat on her forehead, she noticed that she received a cut from the knife that was pressed against her face. She sighed.

-0—0—

"Are you Akane-chan?" Amaya asked kindly as a timid looking girl approached her.

The young girl nodded. "Y… Yes… Are you Izaya-san?"

Amaya nodded and laughed. "No, but I'm his friend! He asked me to come see you today because he was busy. You can call me Aya-nii!"

Akane looked at her, puzzled. "But… You're a girl…"

Amaya laughed amiably and offered her hand to they young girl. "Well, it doesn't really matter! Girl, guy, or whatever! I don't really care so much."

The young girl nodded and took her hand, suddenly feeling a little less anxious now that she was with an adult.

They walked through the city hand in hand until they reached a small family restaurant where Amaya bought them lunch. "So you're going to be living with me for a while… Are you sure that's alright?"

Akane shifted in her seat nervously and nodded.

Amaya frowned a little bit, not completely happy with the situation.

-She ran away from home because she wasn't happy with what her parents do.

-I can't say I blame her, nor can I completely blame her parents. How do you explain to a child that you're part of the yakuza?

"Hey, Akane-chan. Don't look so sad, okay?" She told the girl beside her. "I'm not scared of your family!" She lied. She had to. "I'm not scared of you either! You're like a cute little sister! I've always wanted a sibling, you know! So I'm really happy right now that you're with me!"

"R-really?!" Akane asked rather loudly, which made Amaya happy.

"Yup! So don't worry, okay! I'll take good care of you!"

-0—0—

"Hey, Miyoshi-kun," Naoko greeted on the phone. "Can I ask you something?"

Miyoshi, a friend that Naoko made in the previous year, sounded very happy to hear from his friend. "Naoko! How are you? It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Naoko smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Totally. You should come visit some time, you know?"

"Man, I'd love to but I can't at the moment… School and all that!" Miyoshi replied, sounding a little bit sad. "But hey, did you need something? You usually just text me and it's not that I don't like hearing your voice but its odd for you to call me!"

"Ah well…" Naoko said, pondering. He decided to be completely honest. He could trust Miyoshi. "You worked for Izaya-san for a while, didn't you?"

Miyoshi went silent for a bit. "Yeah… I still speak with him sometimes. Why do you ask?"

"Ah, can you keep this conversation a secret from him?" Naoko practically begged. "I'd rather not be on his bad side, and it's getting harder and harder to do that…"

"Oh? Did you do something to make him angry? Or maybe you've done something to make him sad?" Miyoshi asked, and Naoko could already imagine him tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Izaya-senpai is pretty hard to read, but he… He is very extreme when you've upset him."

"That's why it's really important that you keep this conversation a secret!" Naoko said, looking around the area just in case. He's been feeling rather paranoid as of late, not trusting most of his surroundings. Even as he spoke to Miyoshi he couldn't help but feel like someone was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Sure, but I can't promise you that he wont find out. Izaya-senpai is very good at what he does, after all," Miyoshi warned.

"I understand…" Naoko replied sullenly.

"So what was it that you wanted to ask?"

The vice leader of Green Earth hesitated, looking around him nervously before whispering into the receiver of his phone. "Can I trust Orihara?"

He was greeted with silence, and for a moment he thought that Miyoshi might have hung up on him. "I can't say that for certain, I'm afraid. He's to be trusted but only when it benefits him."

"Oh… I see…" Naoko said, rather disappointed.

"Sorry I couldn't be of much help," Miyoshi replied sheepishly. "But really, with that guy, it's hard to say."

"No it's fine," Naoko replied, trying to make himself sound a little happier. "It was good to hear your voice anyway, so I'm still happy that I made this call!"

Miyoshi laughed lightly. "That's nice to know…"

"Miyoshi?"

"No, nothing," Miyoshi reassured. "But… Now I'm a little bit curious. Could you update me on the situation in Ikebukuro right now? When I get an inkling of an idea, I'll try asking around for some information that could help you. I get this feeling that you're gotten yourself involved in something a little bit dangerous if you're asking me if you should trust Izaya-senpai or not."

"Urgh," Naoko replied, crouching down as he held his head in one hand. "That man really is bad news, isn't he?"

"Not necessarily!" Chirped Miyoshi. "He's just very hard to understand."

"It's hard to believe, I'm afraid…" Naoko said with a sigh.

"He's a very shady person, I understand why you'd feel that way," Miyoshi replied. "Well, I have stuff to do right now so… Maybe send me a document with what's happening in Ikebukuro, okay? Then I'll ask around."

"Thanks, Miyoshi," Naoko replied with a smile. "You should totally come back and visit, though. I miss you!"

"Haha! I miss you too," the other boy replied with a lilt in his voice. "Well, okay. Good-bye, Naoko! And good luck."

-0—0—

"Namie-san?"

Namie looked up from her work, her brows furrowing. "You didn't schedule an appointment."

Amaya flashed the key of Izaya's apartment. "I invited myself."

"That's rude, you know," she scolded, her eyes going back to her laptop screen. "So why are you here?"

"Ah, well, I've done my part in what Izaya-san has asked me to do," she replied, making herself feel at home as she prepared a cup of tea to drink. "He's yet to tell me what I'm supposed to do next so here I am."

"You could have just called him," Namie replied with a grunt.

Amaya shrugged, sitting down on the leather couch in the middle of the room. She sipped at her tea and picked up a book sitting on the coffee table and began to read. "I was instructed to come here as soon as I could," she replied. "He asked me to deliver something for him."

"I don't understand why you're agreeing to work for such a loathsome guy," Namie said, giving Amaya an almost concerned look. "He's not even paying you."

"Oh… Maybe I should ask him to pay me?" Amaya laughed.

"Ah, I'd appreciate it if you didn't plant any ideas into my kohai's mind, Namie-chan" Izaya said upon entering the room. He turned his attention to Amaya then and grinned, giving her the peace sign. "Dependable as always, Amayachi!"

The girl nodded. "Of course!"

Izaya walked over and handed her a small parcel and a note with a certain address. Attached was a picture of a young looking man, probably in his mid-twenties. "Please deliver the package to this man!" Izaya instructed, sitting beside Amaya as he took hold of her tea and took a sip. "As much as possible, don't let him see your face. This is for your safety, after all."

Amaya nodded, taking a good look at the address and the photo. "What's in this?"

"That's for me to know and you to never find out," Izaya teased lightly.

She sighed, pocketing the papers and parcel. "Anything else?"

"After a few days, I'd like you to hand over Akane-chan to an acquaintance of mine. He'll continue your job of looking out for her, so you don't have to worry." Izaya said with a wave of his hand, resting his feet atop of the coffee table.

Amaya frowned slightly. "This man… He wont do anything strange to her, right?" she asked. She was fond of Akane-chan, even if they only spent a few hours together. At the moment, the young girl was asleep in her apartment, tired both physically and emotionally from running away from home.

"No worries, no worries," Izaya reassured her. "He is to be trusted… However, if he were to ruin things, it will be very easy to teach him a lesson~!"


	5. Chapter 5

Naoko gulped nervously as he sat quietly, waiting for Izaya to finish his conversation with whoever it was he was speaking to on the phone. The informant had invited him to karaoke, but really it was to discuss something in a place where they wouldn't be overheard. It was important business, regarding the things happening with the gangs in Ikebukuro, mostly about what was going on with DOLLARS.

The young boy wasn't that active a member of DOLLARS, but he's heard the rumors about the things that have happened in Saitama. And as much as he wanted to ignore that information, he knew that he had to keep himself updated with the news in order to move in a more planned manner instead of acting without really knowing what they were getting themselves into.

"Sorry about that, Nao-chan," the informant apologized as he hung up his phone. He handed over Naoko's drink to the boy and took a sip of his own. "Just some business," he said with a wave of his hand.

"It's not a problem, Izaya-san," Naoko said with a small shrug of his shoulders, taking a sip of his drink before placing it down. "So what exactly is happening?"

"Oya, straight to business, huh?" Izaya replied with an amused smirk. "Before that, why don't you update me with your life so far?"

"Huh..?" Naoko said, startled.

"Hey, I'm an informant. Information is what I thrive on," he said shrugging with a grin. "And even if I wasn't, we're friends aren't we? Or at least acquaintances. All the more reason to talk to each other about our lives right? I want to get to know you," he prattled on, crossing one leg over the other. "So tell me about yourself."

Naoko didn't really know what else to do. He knew he shouldn't upset Izaya and he supposed there was no harm in telling him idle information about himself. So Naoko indulged in him, telling Izaya useless things about him and his life but he tried his best to keep the names of his family a secret but for some reason he felt like it was a futile attempt. Still, he went on until his throat was dry and he had to take another few gulps of his drink.

Izaya in turn told Naoko about himself as well, but Naoko noticed that the information he was giving him was very general. Height, birthday, weight, odd habits, favorite foods.

Naoko found it oddly... Normal.

The younger boy rubbed at his temple idly, taking another sip of his drink. "But really, Izaya-san. Was... was this all we were going to talk about?" he asked, finally placing down his empty glass. "I thought you said it was important."

"Ah, how could I have let that slip my mind!" Izaya practically yelped as if he really did forget. "Well you see, you've heard of what happened in Saitama, right?" and when Naoko nodded his head he smiled. "You know Toromaru is not a group to be trifled with and they don't take things as lightly as the DOLLARS do. They seek justice, dear Nao-chan. Their leader, Rokujo Chikage but also known as Rocchi, he's an odd one you know but he takes these matters very seriously. Especially when there are girls involved!"

Naoko nodded, his vision getting a little bit hazy.

"And so, Toromaru is paying Ikebukuro a little visit! And well, knowing Amayachi like I do, I'm pretty sure she's going to get involved with this somehow," he told Naoko who was starting to look a little pale. "So my advice for you is to tell Amayachi to keep up her feminine charms if she were to come across Rocchi-kun. In fact, maybe you should let her get beat up for a bit as Ken, then have her reveal herself as Amaya!"

"Th... That's horrible, Izaya-san," Naoko told him with a frown. "We... We can just... Placate them..."

"Ohh? Is that so? Tell me, Nao-chan, how do you expect to tame a group of wild animals?" Izaya laughed, grinning wider as Naoko slumped over.

"Now I've got a question for you, Nao-chan. Did your parents ever teach you not to accept drinks from strangers?" When Naoko's eyes went wide, he felt his smile stretch wider. "Your father owns a bar, after all. I'm sure you should know this information by heart."

"I-izaya-san... You.." Naoko tried to ask, but he was nervous and his mind was trying to come up with an escape plan but his head just hurt too much for him to think properly.

"Question two! Why am I sitting next to the only exit?"

Naoko felt his stomach drop. "F-fuck..."

"Question three!" Izaya kicked the small table between them away, revealing the suitcase that was hidden underneath it. "Why do I have this empty suitcase? I'll give you a hint though, it's empty and it's approximately your size."

Naoko's eyes felt wide and he stood up on shaky knees. He fumbled for his phone to literally call for help, but his hands were shaking too much for him to have a proper grip. His phone slipped from his fingers, landing with a noisy clatter at his feet. "I-izaya-san, w-wait-" he tried to reason. He absolutely did not want to be stuffed into a suitcase. Absolutely not. The thought alone was making his body shake in anticipation. "P-please..!"

"Time is money," Izaya said with a laugh, standing up in front of Naoko. He bent down and picked up the fallen phone slowly, as if he were bragging the fact that he could move perfectly fine while Naoko was having a hard time breathing. He scrolled through Naoko's contacts and grinned when he found "Shizuo-san" listed down. He pocketed the phone and gave Naoko a pat on the cheek. "I've given you information for free, you know, so this is the least you can do for me."

The last thing Naoko saw was Izaya smiling at him.

* * *

><p>Shizuo frowned slightly at the sound of a cellphone ringing. It was a ringtone that he was familiar with, but he couldn't remember who owned it. But it was weird, since he was walking along a very deserted street to his home. He didn't see anyone, so he was a little bit disturbed.<p>

Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed the sound of the ringing until he found a familiar looking phone perched on top of an out of place looking suitcase. Upon inspecting the phone, it read "Izaya-san." His blood boiling at the mere sight of the name, he clicked the call button and pressed the phone against his ear. "..."

"Ahaha! Good evening, Shizu-chan!" Izaya greeted on the phone. "Why are you picking up phones that don't belong to you?"

Shizuo growled. "Cut the bull," he hissed. "What are you planning, you piece of shit?"

"Hmmmmm," Izaya replied thoughtfully. "Well, I'm playing treasure hunt with you, of course!"

"What the fuck?" Shizuo growled. "Show yourself, damn it."

"Ahahahaha! I'm flattered that you think I would be the treasure, Shizu-chan," Izaya teased, as if he were flirting or something. "But no, no. I'm not the treasure! It's someone else!"

"..." Shizuo did not like the sound of that.

The suitcase in front of him rattled suddenly.

"I'll give you a hint though! He's quite the young thing, and very precious too! Oh, what a lovely human being he is!" And before Shizuo could reply, Izaya quickly added. "Byebye! I'm busy Shizu-chan! But you better return that phone as soon as possible!"

_Click_

The suitcase in front of him rattled again, and this time it continued to rattle. And this time, Shizuo was sure that he could hear someone trying to speak. He pulled the suitcase open and when he did he felt like he wanted to strangle the informant. "Naoko?" He asked, eyes wide as he stared at the boy tied up inside the suit case. He quickly dropped the phone in his hand and carefully untied his short friend. "What the fuck," he hissed.

As soon as he was untied, Naoko grabbed onto Shizuo's arms tightly and it didn't seem like he was going to let go any time soon. He was shaking slightly, his chest heaving as he took in deep breaths. "Sh-shizuo-san," he whimpered, closing his eyes tight. "Shizuo-san..." he repeated and kept repeating his name like a mantra, trying to calm himself down.

Naoko had claustrophobia. And the worst thing to have ever happened to him was to wake up inside a dark and cramped suitcase. He was so scared, he didn't even have the time to be angry at Izaya.

"Fuck, kid, relax," Shizuo attempted, pulling one arm free to rub at Naoko's back. "Look, c'mon. I live nearby."

* * *

><p>When Shizuo opened the door the next morning, too early for his liking, he was greeted by a very worried looking boy. "Where is he?!" the boy demanded of him, peering behind Shizuo's back and trying to get passed him. But Shizuo blocked his way each time he tried to step in, getting irritated by the kid's persistence. He let out a huff, grabbing the hood of the kid and held him up a few feet above the ground and shook him a little bit.<p>

The boy got dizzy at that and went limp as he tried to keep what little food was inside him from spilling out.

"Are you calm now?" Shizuo asked after a few silent seconds.

The boy nodded slowly. "S...Sorry," he replied and was thankful when Shizuo let him down. "Is Nao-kun with you?"

"Nao-kun?" Shizuo echoed, scratching the back of his head. "You mean Naoko?"

The boy nodded. "Yes!"

"He is," Shizuo replied. "Who are you?"

"His girlfriend!" The boy, who turned out to be Amaya, replied.

* * *

><p>Extra:<p>

"I bought you lunch, Izaya-san," Amaya said happily as she let herself into the informants apartment.

Izaya, from his desk, looked up in mild surprise. "You did?" He asked with a smile. It was convenient since Namie had the day off. "Waa, thank you so much, Amayachi! I knew you cared about your nii-san!"

Amaya dropped the take out box in front of him and on his keyboard, a happy smile on her face.

Izaya returned the smile and opened the take out box only to frown. It was all vegetables. Not even a salad, it was just a box filled with various vegetables. "So you found out?" he asked with an amused smile on his face.

Amaya nodded and smiled, stuffing her hands into her pockets and slipped on her brass knuckles. "Ne, nii-san," she said sweetly. "How much do I have to pay you to punch you?"


End file.
